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  11. Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy

Introduction

Diabetic Retinopathy is a condition where blood vessels start leaking into the eye, causing black spots or streaks in a person’s vision 1. The longer that a person has diabetes, the higher the chances they’ll get diabetic retinopathy 1.

As of 2023, the World Health Organization estimated that 3.9 million people worldwide had diabetic retinopathy 2.

Simulations of Diabetic Retinopathy

Two boys in front of a stand of trees. Random large areas of the picture obscure details as if the image has been tinted black in those spots.
Copyright © National Eye Institute (NEI)
Two boys holding some sports balls in front of a fence. The image is covered with large blotches, obscuring random parts of the scene.
Copyright © National Eye Institute (NEI)

Design Considerations

The design considerations for low vision and the design considerations for blindness apply to people with diabetic retinopathy.

Additional resources

  • TBD
  1. Diabetic Retinopathy by the National Eye Institute[↩][↩]
  2. Blindness and Vision Impairment by the World Health Organization, dated 10 August 2023[↩]